Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch get a jump on the 2006 season with Goodyear Tire Test at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Kurt Busch sported new colors today at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Dressed in a brand new blue firesuit, Busch took his first laps in the historic No. 2 Miller Lite car.

Busch and three-time Atlanta Motor Speedway winner, Carl Edwards, were at the track today to assist Goodyear Racing Tires with the first of a two-day test session.

Busch's new crew chief, Roy McCauley said, "Today, Goodyear is looking at wear, heat, overall lap times, grip level and load. Based on all the data taken during the test, they will choose the tire that will not generate too much heat, but provide enough grip to make the driver comfortable."

Edwards posted the fastest unofficial time of the day with a lap of 189.993 mph (29.18 seconds), while Busch's fastest lap was 187.869 mph (29.51 seconds). Both times were comparable to race speeds.

"Atlant. Man, this place is fast," said Busch. "I enjoy coming here. I think all the drivers enjoy coming to this race track.

"With the new testing rules, this test is beneficial for our team," said Busch. "Goodyear gets to use our resources to test their tires, but the biggest thing is we get track time."

To see if their extra track time equals success, come back in March for the Golden Corral 500 race weekend. Tickets are on sale now for all three days of racing excitement during the March 17-19 weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with ticket prices starting at $30. For fans who want to attend all three days or racing action, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and NEXTEL Cup races, three-day tickets start at $70 (quantities are limited).